Need bike racks for your community event? We loan these out to keep events green and get more people cycling. Not my first choice for naming our bike rack patent, but it’ll do.

Chris and Laura Grant are the founders, funders, and kindly seniors that operate the non-profit Alberta Bike Swap dedicated to creating a safe and accessible place for Albertans to buy, sell, and donate used bicycles.

Motivation: Avid cyclists themselves, they started the swap in 2011 after unsafe experiences trying to buy and sell bikes online, aiming to fill the gap in cycling safety and education.

Professional Background: Chris is a retired instrumentation engineer, and Laura has a background in software product analysis with a degree in math/computer science. Their professional skills contributed to the processes, as they have designed and copyrighted fit-for-purpose software and patented bike racks.

Mission: They ensure that the majority of profits are donated back to the community to fund safe cycling initiatives and provide transportation security through groups that receive donated bikes.

Safe Cycling Advocates: Chris is a CAN-Bike Master Instructor and the couple actively works with over 90 organizations. They view the swaps as a "labour of love" rooted in the belief that bicycles are empowering.